Xiang Xiaotong reached out and snatched up the test paper with a smack, then began grading it seriously.
Song He waited nervously, silently checking the calculations in his head. The final result had come from a burst of mental arithmetic—a small leap, you could say.
"That was calculated very well!" Xiang Xiaotong suddenly said.
Song He grinned.
"But it's wrong." Xiang Xiaotong added.
Song He's smile froze. He stammered, "It's wrong? Wh-where?"
"You don't know where it's wrong?" Xiang Xiaotong looked slightly disappointed. "You were just a tiny bit off!"
Song He panicked. He stood up and snatched the test paper back with a smack, his eyes sweeping over the rows of messy handwriting as he quickly checked the calculations again!
After calculating for a long while, he still couldn't find anything wrong. He anxiously looked up and was just about to ask when he noticed Xiang Xiaotong suppressing a laugh.
"Teacher, you were messing with me, weren't you?"
"Yes. You got it right." Xiang Xiaotong burst out laughing.
Song He was speechless. "Does teasing me make you that happy?"
Xiang Xiaotong covered her face and laughed for a moment before forcing herself to look serious. With a solemn expression, she said, "I wasn't messing with you. I was training your calculation skills and your spirit of refusing to fear authority! If you want to become an independent scholar, the key quality is staying clearheaded amid an authority figure's doubts! You passed the test!"
"Authority?" Song He snorted. "From today onward, you and I are equals in mathematics!"
"Arrogant." Xiang Xiaotong was supremely confident. "Get a Chen Prize first, then say that!"
Xiang Xiaotong wore an unbearably smug smile, clearly reveling in herself.
Song He was stunned for a moment. He realized that his teacher had truly become conceited after